3 Fitness Lies That Halt Your Progress
How to See Through False Information in Training and Nutrition
By Alyssa Smith
Have you ever played the game “Two Truths and a Lie? The objective is to make a lie sound so believable that it becomes difficult to tell it apart from the actual truth.
Now imagine this game becomes your approach to training and nutrition.
Unfortunately, I’ve been there before. My movement career put me front and center to stark ideas that, at first, I believed. It took some serious unlearning and support from the right coaches. But now I can say I’ve survived and live to tell the tale.
As a strength coach and professional dancer, I want athletes to know that they shouldn’t believe everything they hear or read about training. Because ultimate, too-good-to-be-true statements are often false clickbait that stall progress. As someone who’s learned the hard way, here’s what I’ve experienced from believing these three common misconceptions — and how I reframed my perception with knowledge to get the results I wanted.
1. “Women shouldn’t lift heavy.”
This limited way of thinking turned my workouts into “elliptical and abs” training for the majority of my college experience. Because of this, fitness felt obligatory and boring — and led me to dread the monotony that became going to the gym.
As a dancer, I was looking to feel stronger in my movement, and this lie pushed me in the opposite direction. When I finally found coaches that introduced me to barbell and resistance training, it finally felt like I was doing something that celebrated what my body could do instead of using fitness as a punishment for what I felt it lacked.
If someone tells you not to lift heavy, it’s likely they haven’t experienced its benefits. Strength training not only makes you physically stronger, but it teaches your brain to understand what you’re capable of — on and off the training floor. I’m a woman who’s learned to love to bench press. Over time, practicing this lift has improved my push-up strength and left me feeling like a total boss. My physical capabilities positively impact how I feel about myself. And that’s a relationship I can get behind.
2. “Carbs are bad and bread will make you fat.”
A “You Pick Two” of lies, if you will.
Did this lie result in me having a fear of bread for well over a year? Yes. Should anyone be afraid of something that builds a sandwich? No.
My first red flag should’ve been that a trained professional did not give me this crusty advice. And the second should’ve been the use of the word “bad.” What does bad mean, exactly? Aren’t vegetables carbs? Are vegetables bad? Is butter a carb? Talk about adding confusion and stress to something that can already be confusing and stressful.
The truth? Carbs give you the energy you need to live your life and fuel your performance. The Lunge Ladies are carb advocates and stand behind nutrient-dense foods that support your goals. But not everyone knows what that means or where to start.
Looking to get the truth about nutrition to see the results you’re looking for? TLL co-founder, Cara Sabin, is leading a foundational nutrition workshop and challenge on July 23 at Defined Training — and a macros workshop on July 30. If this doesn’t fit your schedule, she works with women 1-on-1 to better understand their relationship with food in order to make habit changes that last a lifetime. We also love Nikki Georgeson, a powerhouse trainer and certified nutrition coach who knows her shit.
3. “Rest is for the weak.”
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. This is one of the worst lies I have ever been told, and it led me to a hamster wheel of fatigue and injury. Bottom line: This idea lacks knowledge and care. Yet, unfortunately for me, it found a very cozy place in my brain. And decided to stay a while.
The truth is, rest guarantees recovery. And a reset is essential to maintaining a healthy mind and body. Without sleep and downtime, you’ll default to burnout; which can do some really gnarly damage to your training goals and emotional capacity.
I’ve learned that more is not always better. Stepping back and letting your body rest is the key to longevity. And when you do train, pay attention to how you feel. If you wake up especially tired, ask yourself: Did I have a hard training session the day before? Did I get enough sleep? Am I hydrated? Am I experiencing high levels of stress? Depending on how you answer this question, adjust your training to fit your needs. Maybe opt for a shorter session or stick to less-intense weight training. When you rest with intention, you train with intention.
So How Can You Win at Your Own Game?
Seek out the advice and guidance of trained professionals. Knowledge is power, and when you surround yourself with coaches who not only instruct, but educate, you place yourself in the driver's seat of your own experiences.
Fitness is not a one-size-fits-all experience. And just because something works for someone else, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Trust your gut. If something feels like a red flag, it probably is.
And remember: We don’t have to fight this BS alone. As women who uplift other women, we’re always on the same team.
